SL3: A Short Review-Update by Thomas Walter

[MediaFotografie]

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It is now more than two months since the third generation of the SL series was unveiled; a lot of experience has been gained with it and the initial hype and excitement surrounding the new model has died down, with the focus now shifting to further innovations.

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I contributed some experiences from autumn 2023 to the launch day with the field test report SL the Third: Much Progress Through Evolution. In the meantime, I have used the final camera intensively and every day, especially with FW 1.1 - and today, I would like to supplement the first report with an update, as I now see some things differently. The main judgement, which the old headline ‘much progress through evolution’ already conveys well, remains completely unchanged.

Thanks to the LUF administrators for the opportunity for this update!

Power Consumption

Wetzlar uses the field test and listens carefully to the feedback. The SL3 ‘beta’ energy consumption was too high for everyone last autumn; even with a new BP-SCL6 battery, I never reached 200 shots. Today, with FW 1.1, more than 400 shots are possible with identical settings (the user profiles could be adopted) in comparable situations.

The new FW takes a very skilful approach to a few settings (earlier standby, darker display) and thus achieves this important improvement. Problem solved; it now feels even better than SL2 with the old BP-SCL4 battery.

The faster sleep mode doesn't bother me in practice if you don't wake up the camera exactly when it falls asleep - see ‘Wishes’.

Image Quality

During the test phase, of course, no software supported SL3 natively. Kudos that Wetzlar managed to get Adobe Lightroom and Capture One to support SL3 on launch day!

(SL3, ISO 5000, post-processing)

Many things about the SL3 are convincing, but most of all the image quality. Even at high ISO values, impressive results with a very pleasant grain are achieved with little effort.

The dynamic range of the 61MP sensor is extremely high and the DNG files can be processed perfectly.

The brilliant new AI noise reduction in Lightroom often helps here too - but I use it much less than with the SL2.

Lenses

Light and shadow: The more one appreciates the image quality of the SL3 - the more the optical superiority of the APO-Summicron-SL optics increases, which forms a fantastic combination with the sensor of the SL3. The SL3 is only really ‘wow’ with an APO-Summicron-SL when you zoom in over 300%.

The two ‘non-APO’ Summicron-SLs are super handy on the smaller camera, and the AF is very fast - but the optical strength lies with the APOs unless Peter Karbe is ignored and the lens stopped down.

User Interface

Do we need the old, familiar favourites menu? A tricky question. With a well-thought-out combination of the new, configurable main menu with the User Profiles, it seems to work without any problems. Even in the LUF, there are hardly any comments about missing the favourites.

I still enjoy the new, fresh user interface, it is well thought out; even the self-timer counts down in the new fonts, everything is coherent. I have wanted the configurable main menu since the introduction of the SL2 2019.

I didn't have any freezes with the SL3 during the field test or with the final product.

Tilt screen: Of course, preferences differ widely here, but I like the solution introduced with the SL3 very much and it has proven itself in practice.

Accessories

This was not yet available in the field test: the new dual charger is convenient and USB-based. The bundled power set is very interesting in terms of price.

I now like the mixed SD/CFe type B solution, which is also widespread and offers several advantages. The SD card fits directly into the MacBook Pro and other computers, and the new card type is an advantage when reading large amounts of data.

Not previously mentioned: Like the R system, the SL 601 has the option of anti-twist protection with a second pin for the tripod connection; this was missing on the SL2 (but not on the corresponding handgrip), on the SL3 this practical feature is back on the camera (and handgrip); the matching Arca-Swiss plate fits perfectly.

There is nothing to add about the handgrip, I particularly like the redesigned and easier-to-grip back and the fact that both batteries are now charged via USB.

Open Wishes

Of course, some things remain unresolved - but significantly less than last autumn. The picture quality is impressive, battery life is perfectly fine now.

I still wish that the overly insistent warning when using the old SC-BP4 batteries would be made more user-friendly every time it is activated.

The fast wake-up time from standby mode is impressive; however, if you catch the second when the SL3 goes to sleep, it takes considerably longer; optimisation would be helpful here.

I have not yet tested AF and fast-moving objects enough, nor the video functions. At the moment, the added value of phase-detection AF doesn't seem to be very great.

The Multi-Shot/High Res mode popular on the SL2 is missing - it would be nice if an FW update could add this popular function.

And Finally

As described in the title of the first article: SL3 is a successful evolution of the SL system in many details, especially the sensor, the handling and the user interface.

The SL2 and SL2-S are and remain very successful cameras, but the more you get used to the SL3 with its internal nickname Picard - which can also replace both in the field of photography thanks to its good high-ISO behaviour - the more you won't want to go back.

Take Picard in your hand, a few suitable lenses and take beautiful pictures, whether privately or professionally - in the current crisis-ridden times, that's a small dose of holiday every time!

More sample images

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[Boojay]

Very nicely put together, I enjoyed your words and images, seems like a very honest sum-up of "Picard" 😀 at this point, I expect/hope it's a camera that will just get better down the line.

Edit... I should have said even better 

Edited June 6, 2024 by Boojay

[helged]

1 hour ago, MediaFotografie said:

It is now more than two months since the third generation of the SL series was unveiled; a lot of experience has been gained with it and the initial hype and excitement surrounding the new model has died down, with the focus now shifting to further innovations.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I contributed some experiences from autumn 2023 to the launch day with the field test report SL the Third: Much Progress Through Evolution. In the meantime, I have used the final camera intensively and every day, especially with FW 1.1 - and today, I would like to supplement the first report with an update, as I now see some things differently. The main judgement, which the old headline ‘much progress through evolution’ already conveys well, remains completely unchanged.

Thanks to the LUF administrators for the opportunity for this update!

Power Consumption

Wetzlar uses the field test and listens carefully to the feedback. The SL3 ‘beta’ energy consumption was too high for everyone last autumn; even with a new BP-SCL6 battery, I never reached 200 shots. Today, with FW 1.1, more than 400 shots are possible with identical settings (the user profiles could be adopted) in comparable situations.

The new FW takes a very skilful approach to a few settings (earlier standby, darker display) and thus achieves this important improvement. Problem solved; it now feels even better than SL2 with the old BP-SCL4 battery.

The faster sleep mode doesn't bother me in practice if you don't wake up the camera exactly when it falls asleep - see ‘Wishes’.

Image Quality

During the test phase, of course, no software supported SL3 natively. Kudos that Wetzlar managed to get Adobe Lightroom and Capture One to support SL3 on launch day!

(SL3, ISO 5000, post-processing)

Many things about the SL3 are convincing, but most of all the image quality. Even at high ISO values, impressive results with a very pleasant grain are achieved with little effort.

The dynamic range of the 61MP sensor is extremely high and the DNG files can be processed perfectly.

The brilliant new AI noise reduction in Lightroom often helps here too - but I use it much less than with the SL2.

Lenses

Light and shadow: The more one appreciates the image quality of the SL3 - the more the optical superiority of the APO-Summicron-SL optics increases, which forms a fantastic combination with the sensor of the SL3. The SL3 is only really ‘wow’ with an APO-Summicron-SL when you zoom in over 300%.

The two ‘non-APO’ Summicron-SLs are super handy on the smaller camera, and the AF is very fast - but the optical strength lies with the APOs unless Peter Karbe is ignored and the lens stopped down.

User Interface

Do we need the old, familiar favourites menu? A tricky question. With a well-thought-out combination of the new, configurable main menu with the User Profiles, it seems to work without any problems. Even in the LUF, there are hardly any comments about missing the favourites.

I still enjoy the new, fresh user interface, it is well thought out; even the self-timer counts down in the new fonts, everything is coherent. I have wanted the configurable main menu since the introduction of the SL2 2019.

I didn't have any freezes with the SL3 during the field test or with the final product.

Tilt screen: Of course, preferences differ widely here, but I like the solution introduced with the SL3 very much and it has proven itself in practice.

Accessories

This was not yet available in the field test: the new dual charger is convenient and USB-based. The bundled power set is very interesting in terms of price.

I now like the mixed SD/CFe type B solution, which is also widespread and offers several advantages. The SD card fits directly into the MacBook Pro and other computers, and the new card type is an advantage when reading large amounts of data.

Not previously mentioned: Like the R system, the SL 601 has the option of anti-twist protection with a second pin for the tripod connection; this was missing on the SL2 (but not on the corresponding handgrip), on the SL3 this practical feature is back on the camera (and handgrip); the matching Arca-Swiss plate fits perfectly.

There is nothing to add about the handgrip, I particularly like the redesigned and easier-to-grip back and the fact that both batteries are now charged via USB.

Open Wishes

Of course, some things remain unresolved - but significantly less than last autumn. The picture quality is impressive, battery life is perfectly fine now.

I still wish that the overly insistent warning when using the old SC-BP4 batteries would be made more user-friendly every time it is activated.

The fast wake-up time from standby mode is impressive; however, if you catch the second when the SL3 goes to sleep, it takes considerably longer; optimisation would be helpful here.

I have not yet tested AF and fast-moving objects enough, nor the video functions. At the moment, the added value of phase-detection AF doesn't seem to be very great.

The Multi-Shot/High Res mode popular on the SL2 is missing - it would be nice if an FW update could add this popular function.

And Finally

As described in the title of the first article: SL3 is a successful evolution of the SL system in many details, especially the sensor, the handling and the user interface.

The SL2 and SL2-S are and remain very successful cameras, but the more you get used to the SL3 with its internal nickname Picard - which can also replace both in the field of photography thanks to its good high-ISO behaviour - the more you won't want to go back.

Take Picard in your hand, a few suitable lenses and take beautiful pictures, whether privately or professionally - in the current crisis-ridden times, that's a small dose of holiday every time!

More sample images

+1. Regarding AFc; put me into the group of users eagerly waiting for updated "Animal (beta)" tracking.

[thebarnman]

The "More sample images" https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c

There are several images that look slightly out of focus or not as high resolution as I think any examples would be such as 

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/e3339610a842cdaedeb684ff562168a4

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/46a0958267694ac5b0edee5513290151

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/afea59905edb47b49c1252ffce116ab7

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/ff67857622bc4f81883c3b3ee5d53b64

Is this the fault of the Lightroom service or is this a matter of cropping the image too much?  I thought with a 60MP sensor there would be lots of room for cropping.  

[MediaFotografie]

vor 14 Minuten schrieb thebarnman:

The "More sample images" https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c

There are several images that look slightly out of focus or not as high resolution as I think any examples would be such as 

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/e3339610a842cdaedeb684ff562168a4

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/46a0958267694ac5b0edee5513290151

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/afea59905edb47b49c1252ffce116ab7

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/ff67857622bc4f81883c3b3ee5d53b64

Is this the fault of the Lightroom service or is this a matter of cropping the image too much?  I thought with a 60MP sensor there would be lots of room for cropping.  

you're right, it looks like a little bit out of focus, but they are not, must be the lightroom service.

If you want I can publish DNGs also.

(to the first one: this is Hohenzollern's castle, 26km away, with Sigma 150-600
https://www.burg-hohenzollern.com/startpage.html )

[1Haufen]

Thanks for the report. It sounds very positive. Can you see a difference in AF performance between the Summicron APO lenses and the smaller Summicron version in terms of speed and accuracy?

[MediaFotografie]

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vor 4 Stunden schrieb 1Haufen:

Thanks for the report. It sounds very positive. Can you see a difference in AF performance between the Summicron APO lenses and the smaller Summicron version in terms of speed and accuracy?

thank you; in AF speed: the "non-APOs" are much faster (and silent), accuracy is the same

[LocalHero1953]

23 hours ago, MediaFotografie said:

At the moment, the added value of phase-detection AF doesn't seem to be very great.

This surprises me, but is consistent with what others here have said about AF. It surprises me in that (by report - I haven't tried it) the latest Panasonic firmware seems to given AF rather better performance in the S5ii. 

[1Haufen]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb MediaFotografie:

thank you; in AF speed: the "non-APOs" are much faster (and silent), accuracy is the same

Can you say whether the AF performance of the APOs in terms of speed on an SL3 is similar or even the same as on an SL2/SL2-s? So are there any differences?

And how do you feel about the speed of the SL3 after the shutter has been released? I have heard that there is a delay due to the slower readout time of the sensor. Or is that an exaggeration (also compared to the SL2/s)?

[thebarnman]

On 6/6/2024 at 12:00 PM, MediaFotografie said:

you're right, it looks like a little bit out of focus, but they are not, must be the lightroom service.

If you want I can publish DNGs also.

(to the first one: this is Hohenzollern's castle, 26km away, with Sigma 150-600
https://www.burg-hohenzollern.com/startpage.html )

No that's fine, thanks anyway.  I'm just shocked how bad the Lightroom service is.  This is more than just a little bit out of focus...

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/8d3465ed16c945bf9c9db5b883967d0c/albums/a49cc50e36be4dfc8d04660c6c401c1e/assets/e3339610a842cdaedeb684ff562168a4

If this is how Lightroom is set up to share images with others, it's not part of the service I'd want to use.  

 

In any case there is a new firmware and I read it pretty much doubles how many images you can take on a charge but am I understanding correctly that it reduces the brightness level of the flip screen?  If so, how does it look to you?  

[kkcsm]

Can’t comment on the other photos, but as @MediaFotografie said, the castle is 26km away.  With humidity, dust, heat distortion, you’re not going to get a clear image from that distance.  It also looks to be cropped?  And at 600mm at that distance you must be very careful even with stabilization to avoid shake.

[thebarnman]

10 hours ago, kkcsm said:

Can’t comment on the other photos, but as @MediaFotografie said, the castle is 26km away.  With humidity, dust, heat distortion, you’re not going to get a clear image from that distance.  It also looks to be cropped?  And at 600mm at that distance you must be very careful even with stabilization to avoid shake.

Agree.  All the conditions you talk about does effect how that one image looks. 

However, I think the Lightroom service is making it worse by compressing the images way too much within the sharing feature.  Simply compare what was posted within this thread below and how much better that looks when compared to the same image from the Lightroom service (further down.) 

The only conclusion I can draw is no matter how easy and nice it is to share images with the Lightroom service, if anyone cares about the quality and what other people see then I would say it's best to use a different sharing service or just email high quality looking jpegs that will certainly look way better when compared to that very bottom image. 

The SL3 with it's APO lenses is a incredible camera system!   

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

[hansvons]

On 6/7/2024 at 2:15 PM, LocalHero1953 said:

This surprises me, but is consistent with what others here have said about AF.

Perhaps the "old" AF wasn't so bad after all. 

I always caught everything with the SL2-S' AF. But I don't use AF-C and take primarily photos of people or static subjects. 

[LocalHero1953]

3 minutes ago, hansvons said:

Perhaps the "old" AF wasn't so bad after all. 

I always caught everything with the SL2-S' AF. But I don't use AF-C and take primarily photos of people or static subjects. 

I'm the same, though many of my people are moving in an unpredictable way; I miss focus on some, but in AFs I don't miss too many. 

[Luke_Miller]

With my SL and SL2 I'm still having excellent results set to AFc and Tracking Mode.  Tracking lets me verify what the camera has focused on.  So far it has only let me down once when there was a bright and detailed background behind the subject.  While the tracking box was over the subject's face, it is large enough that focus was actually on the background. Now I know to avoid that situation.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I have spent the last three months testing my SL3’s against the SL2 and Sony A7R5.

The SL3 almost always focuses faster than the SL2. Somewhat faster in AFS and more noticeably in AFC. However this is extremely lens dependant. For example, let’s look at 50’s.

The SL 50 Summilux focus a little bit faster on the SL3 than SL2. It’s not by a lot. The lens still fells considered and never urgent AFC feels useless on both except for very basic studio use. The difference is lightly bigger on the APO 50 Summicron and Sigma DGDN f2 (faster than the APO in AFS), which are generally adequate in AFS but not great in AFC. And a bigger difference again on the non APO Summicron. The Sigma 50 1.2 is the best focusing lens on the SL3 and you’ll feel it’s faster in both AFS and AFC than the older system. It feels fast even when comparing it to other brands, especially in AFS.

Other examples. The 90-280 doesn’t improve much on the SL3 in AFC ( a real shame). The 100-400 is faster by a small but noticeable amount (snappy on the SL3). The SIgma 500 is much more confidant on the SL3 in AFC.

So, currently (the SL3 AF is beta, after all) you can’t make a blanket statement that the AF is better on the SL3 or just as good on the SL2/S. It depends. In good light with the right lens, there’s really not much of a difference in AFS. AFC is generally better but not really if your test lens is the SL Summilux or 90-280. As a general overview, I’s say the SL3 is faster, but not dramatically faster, with most lenses than the SL2. Say 20%ish. Sometimes a bit better, but only with select lenses.

Lastly, you can eeek out some performance if you go into the settings for AFC on the SL3. I’m guessing most *reviews* don’t do this.

I would hope that Leica is really working to improve the SL3 autofocus to at least S5II levels, which is a step up (similar to my XH2). The A7R5, as expected, is several levels ahead in speed. Accuracy is about the same though is absolute speed doesn’t matter you’ll be fine with the SL3, except for birds, sports and some wildlife, which will be more challenging.

Unfortunately those hoping for an AF miracle aren’t going to get one, I don’t think. While I’d love to consolidate to the SL3, I predict my A1 and A7R5 are safe.

Gordon